Taint
by DgShadowChocolate
Summary: Everything has changed. Summer blue has now been shrouded in night, and red flows in crimson strands. Two hedgehogs must team together before a hero's mind is lost forever, along with countless lives. Non-intense Sonadow, so you've been warned.
1. Chapter 1

**Kay, I'll be honest. Yes this is Sonadow, and yes I support it. *shrug* **

**Anywho, this won't be a face-sucking fiction, but...I'll let you guys read and discover things for yourself. XD**

* * *

The first sensation that Sonic felt was the pain.

Now, he had felt pain before. Pain was a given when you were the Blue Blur, dancing across death's edge more than once. He'd been grazed, and very rarely hit, with bullets, pummeled by unforgiving metal, and slammed into the ground and walls of both rock and fortress. Every inch of his body had been bruised at least once. And he loved it. It always came with an adventure. The pain he experienced meant he was _alive_, which fueled his desire for more of it.

But this pain….this pain was different.

Sonic blearily opened his eyes. A dark and empty room greeted him, the ceiling and walls a dull concrete. There were no windows, only a few lowly lit lights hanging from the ceiling. And there was a door. A door cast in solid iron.

Oh great.

A wave of dizziness swamped the blue hero and he closed his eyes with a groan, raising his hand to his forehead.

_Clank!_

He blinked down with a mixture of surprise and dread at the thick chains that encased his wrists and feet; although "thick" was kinda an understatement. These were the industrialize chains meant for chaining ships to their docks. If these were holding him, then speed or not, he wasn't going anywhere.

He didn't have time to groan again as the pain seared so sharply he nearly gagged, his vision flickering.

"Uughblrgh!"

He'd had colds. He'd had the flu. He'd had sore throats that made speech downright impossible. He'd had sore throats that had burned like he's stupidly swallowed hot coals.

That…was a gentle tickle in comparison.

It was an ache that pulsed. It was a pain that scorched like hellfire. (And he would know about the temperature of that particular blaze, seeing as he'd run through a world practically bathed in the stuff once before.)

But this pain was so strange. It's throbs caused his stomach to twist with painful nausea, caused his head to swim and pound. He could barely find the strength to move against the weight of the chains pining him down.

He sighed grateful that speech didn't aggravate his razed throat. What had Eggman done to him? He couldn't remember how he'd gotten here, but that bloated scientist was usually the _only_ one who would want to have Sonic the Hedgehog chained in a basement somewhere. Plus, Eggman was the only who could actually pull it off.

His ears perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps; muffled thuds of boots and the sharper clangs of metal. Speak of the devil…

Sonic hitched his trademark smirk onto his face, appearing to all the world like he was relaxed, almost dozing in his less that perfect state. He wasn't going to give the Dr. the satisfaction of−

The door opened, the heavy metal scraping and groaning in protest. Sonic squinted at the sudden influx of light, his eyes stinging much more than they should. Then, his bravado fell away as shock and confusion took its place. For framed in the doorway from the brightly lit hallway was a short figure whose distinctive red-tipped quills were pointed upwards. Beside him was a tall human, the helmet bearing the insignia of the G.U.N. obscuring his face. The same symbol was painted on the side of the lethal looking rifle pointed directly at Sonic's chest.

Sonic's mouth fell open. "What?"

Shadow's mouth pressed into a grim line at Sonic's hoarse whisper, easily heard to his ears. He turned to the soldier and nodded once. The human left without a word, the automatic rifle in his arms clicking softly as he walked away.

"Shadow?"

The Ultimate Lifeform locked eyes with Sonic once again, their ruby depths unreadable. Sonic licked his lips. His stomach felt heavy all of the sudden at the sight of the darker hedgehog. His heart throbbed and the pain in his throat twinged.

"Shadow…what's going on?"

Shadow arched an eyebrow. "You tell me. You're the one who's the cause of all of this."

Sonic stared at him. "What?"

Shadow closed the door, the iron hinges squealing in protest. Power rings gleaming in the lowlight, he walked towards the chained hedgehog, his hoverskates clanking dully against the floor. He stopped a good six feet away from Sonic, his arms folded, face set in a no-nonsense line. Now that he was closer and easier to see in the lowlight, Sonic tried to joke as he always did. He tried to steer things back into a place he understood. It didn't help that the pain was now steadily growing worse.

"So Shads, what happened to your face? I know you don't mark easily, or did you finally tackle with something you couldn't handle?"

Shadow's glare cooled several glacial degrees as he answered, his voice steeped in caustic sarcasm.

"Funny story actually. I was sent on a simple search mission when you marvelously sliced my face open."

Sonic stared at the long red gash that blazed across the others face, vivid against the apricot fur. He 'd sliced…What was going on?

"And as for whether I could handle it," Shadow continued, his eyes boring into Sonic. "It was much easier than normal to subdue you however it was quite a chore getting you here. You were thrashing about so erratically that it was downright impossible to fix the muzzle on you. Plus the shrieks you were making complicated things. Finally, we had no choice to sedate you and even that was difficult."

He sighed with annoyance at the memory, fixing the other with a disapproving eye. "You, hedgehog, have the metabolism of a demon. We pumped enough chemicals in you to take out a mammoth and you still refused to go down for another twenty minutes. It's amazing that you can be conscious now after such a short time, even more so that now you're somewhat sane."

There were several seconds ringing silence following this little speech. Sonic gaped at him, appalled and completely lost. And in pain. It was building, burning, making conscious though difficult as it demanded his attention.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice unsteady.

Shadow shook his head in disgust. "Don't lie to me Sonic. You don't have the brain capacity for deceit."

Sonic barely heard him. His eyes were inexplicably drawn to Shadow's neck. The movements and motions of the muscles there seemed to move in slow motion before his eyes. The pain reached such a peak that sweat broke out over his temple. His breathing sped, becoming ragged. He struggled to focus, these sensations unknown and terrifying.

"Wh…what? I don't…"

Shadow's eyes narrowed as he studied Sonic, his body shifting to a defensive stance.

"You don't remember do you?"

"Re….remem…ber?"

The chains wrapped around his wrists clinked as his hands convulsed. His chest was openly heaving now. He closed his eyes, fighting to remove the image of Shadow's neck from his mind; the supple muscles flowing beneath midnight fur….

"You vanished over a month ago Sonic, and just recently returned yesterday." Shadow's voice resounded from far away.

"I…did?" He was burning.

"Yes. Howling and attacking anyone in sight."

This shocked him. Sonic opened his eyes in disbelief, his internal trauma forgotten for a moment." What?!"

"Yes. It's a miracle no one was killed!" Shadow growled, glaring at Sonic with a contempt that leaked into his voice. "And I am very interested to know why the world's greatest _hero _requires all of this."

Shadow swung out an arm at the concrete cell and the chains, his voice rising. The motion disturbed the air, blowing across Sonic's face.

The scent slammed into Sonic's senses, obliterating nearly his entire mind with the force of an atomic bomb. His throat erupted into flames hotter than the sun. His mouth opened, his teeth bared.

He lunged forward, his legs scrabbling against the chains to stand. The chain links clanged loudly against each other, but were drowned out by the unearthly keening snarl that was torn from his throat as Sonic thrashed. He heaved against the unrelenting chains again and again, howling as he strained to reach Shadow. He could hear it now, and wet pounding in his hear that was driving him berserk with pain and lust.

A pulse.

He wanted it. He _needed_ it! He needed to have that pulse, he wanted to feel Shadow's flesh cave beneath his fangs! He needed the sweet treasure housed inside him that would make this pain go away!

….what was happening?!

A small part of Sonic's mind that still survived this madness was screaming out. What was going on? Why was he like this? What was wrong with him?!

Fear was growing larger, now dueling for supremacy against these alien instincts that dominated him.

The shrieks quieted to tortured moans as he shuddered violently, forcing himself to look away from the form that was causing this devastation within him! He shuddered again and bent forward until his forehead touched the ground, moaning in agony.

_It hurts…It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!_

Unaware that he had spoken aloud, he forced himself to stay there, using every ounce of the shattered will he still possessed to remain writhing on the ground. Sonic distantly heard the metal skates scraping against the concrete floor.

"Sonic…"

Sonic held back the scream as his muscles spasmed. Hearing his voice nearly sent him over the edge again. He could hear the vibrations of his vocal chords, hear the pulse in his throat like a siren song.

"Shadow…" he forced out the name in a tortured whisper.

"Shadow, what's _happened_ to me?!"

* * *

**Well, here we go. Let me know what you all think.  
Running Rings will still be going as well, so dun worry. ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

Shadow closed the door, the deep groans of the resisting metal unable to completely drown out the agony of the chained hedgehog inside, still bent over in torment. Squeezing his eyes shut against this image that seemed so wrong, the black hedgehog walked down the echoing hallway of the underground spaces in the G.U.N fortress, pausing only to enable the laser sensors that dotted the walls. It was precaution; one he didn't think they needed.

The guard he had arrived at the cell with was waiting for him at the lift, gun still poised in his grip. He silently opened the metal doors, admitting both agents before the elevator rose to the higher levels. They maintained a silence, the human knowing full well the seriousness of the situation. Part of Shadow was grateful for the silence; he didn't want waste his time with partial conversation. However, silence meant he was alone with his thoughts. He bowed his head, grinding his small fangs together in frustration.

If things had continued as they had, the following decision would have been easy. Unfortunate, but easy. But now…Sonic wasn't the same as he had been the day before. He had somehow retained the few scraps of sentience that existed in that insane speed demon's head. This, plus zero memory of anything else, complicated things immensely. This was against his volition, meaning that the next course of action was unknown.

And…

He didn't hate the blue hedgehog per se; yes he was annoying. Yes, he was cocky to the point of downright arrogant, refusing to take any dire situation seriously and instead treating it all like a game. However, he…did have a grudging respect. He didn't like to admit it, but Sonic was skilled, and hadn't survived this long against Eggman if he wasn't. He even…envied that freedom and spirit that came so naturally to Sonic. That kind of thing was not possible for himself.

So that image…chains surrounding the body of one who could fly so fast and far…that broken whisper…those eyes…

Filled with fear, and a desperate, ravenous hunger.

It disturbed him. It disturbed him much more than he liked. Which was why a solution had to be found, quickly. The beginnings of a plan formed in Shadow's mind as the lift jolted to a halt, the doors sliding back. As one, hedgehog and human stepped out, avoiding one another's eye.

"Well?"

Shadow did not answer at first, gathering his thoughts. What did they do now, while he was planning for the long term?

"Things have become complicated."

The man snorted, a dry humorless noise.

"Weren't they to begin with? Sonic the Hedgehog, of all people…"

His gruff voice trailed away as both struggled to process the madness that so suddenly descended.

"The debriefing is in ten minutes. Commander's office."

They went their separate ways. Shadow breathed deeply as he walked, pushing Sonic from his mind. Ten minutes was more than enough time to begin.

"Chaos Control!"

* * *

Tails was tinkering, brilliant blue eyes fixed unblinkingly on the springs and scraps of metal between his hands. He wasn't building anything in particular, nor did he have any idea in his creative mind. He was waiting. He was worrying. Tinkering kept him calm, kept him sane. A wrench clinked mournfully as it was pulled from its drawer.

It barely bothered him when his brother would run off. He'd been with Sonic for most of his life, fully used to his habits and quirks. Sonic loved his friends as great deal, but company couldn't fully satisfy that wanderlust inside his older brother. He always had to run, always had to move. This was a fact of life, just like the sun rising in the morning.

But…

Twin tails swayed anxiously as bolts were twisted into place, small arms flexing as they worked the wrench back and forth.

Sonic was never gone for this long. But only a small part of the fox was worried. Sonic could take care of himself, plus he had the long range communicator Tails had made for him. If Sonic needed help, he'd call.

The call came.

Late at night, sparks flying from the bowels of the Tornado, Tails almost didn't hear the pinging of the incoming signal. Raising the welding mask, Tails brushed his bangs out of his eyes and eagerly picked up the small device from his desk.

"Sonic? Is that you? It's been a lon−"

"_**Tails! I need ya**_**−SSHHRZH**−_**help out andGYAAAUH**_−**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_**!"**_

A small worry broke into panic.

The Tornado leaped into the air, the roar of modified engine sending it screaming across the skies. Tails prayed it would go faster, opening throttle to the source of the signal.

Sonic never sounded like that. Ever.

He arrived at a place that was desolate, a barren field at the edge of a gloomy forest. Dirt and dust flew as the jet landed, the young pilot sliding out barely seconds afterward. Tails scanned the area frantically, the Tornado's lights illuminating everything, except the form of Sonic.

Fighting back the dread clawing at his stomach, Tails ran in large circles, calling out his brother's name, tripping over the dried out remains of tree roots and bushes.

He found nothing that night…only fresh blood gleaming on the rocks.

Calls weren't answered. Tracks vanished. The blood matched.

Sonic was gone.

The wrench fell onto the desk with a clatter, replaced by a pair of forceps.

He refused to believe it. Tails searched everywhere he could, Amy tagging along when she could. Her tears and frantic cries kept him stable. He had to stay calm, he had to stay focused; because if he slipped and let these fears twisting inside of him out, they all would fall into hysteria. Knuckles helped them when he could, his level headedness both a blessing and a curse.

More than once were there snaps. Amy dissolved into heart wrenching sobs one day, raging and screaming at Knuckles for 'not caring enough'. In the end, both were shouting. Sonic had been through all sorts of things; one more fight didn't mean the end for him. How would you know? You spend all of your time in front of a useless rock. You don't know anything.

These words spinning around his head were more than he could bear. He screamed at them, small strains of his own desperation leaking into his voice. Knuckles returned to his island, but would check in every once in a while. Amy returned to her own home, her frantic pacing kept to herself. But nearly every day she'd call, asking the same question over and over again. And he never had an answer.

Tails jumped at a timid knocking at the workshop door.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

The fox turned to see Amy Rose standing in the doorway. He smiled tiredly, putting down his tools. "It's alright Amy. Come on in."

She walked forward, looking around at the mass of projects, tools, and machinery dotted about workshop. Scores of metal, blueprints, and assorted junk were scattered about on the countertops, the Tornado resting on the ground dead center. It was messier than usual in here, meaning that Tails had been there for some time. She smiled slightly as she looked over his shoulder.

"Thanks. What are you working on?"

Tails looked back at the lump in his hands, blinking his large blue eyes.

"I…have no idea. I think it's some sort of cube."

At some point, they had alerted the G.U.N. about Sonic's disappearance, hoping for any kind of support or clue. The officials agreed to look into it, promising that every able staff member of their intelligence department would be on the case. Knowing that trained agents who spent most of their time tracking Dr. Eggman would be on their side, the kids could rest somewhat easier at night.

Amy looked down at the cube, eyeing the bolts wedged into it and the springs that comically hung off it.

"And…what would it do again?"

Tails briefly chuckled, placing it on the table. "It would be a really rusty paperweight probably."

The laughter was cut short by the sharp banging of the front door. Amy jumped up, green eyes over bright.

"Maybe it's them! Maybe they found Sonic!"

She grabbed Tails by the arm and dragged him out of the workshop, barely noticing the objects flying off the counters.

"Okay! Okay, slow down!"

Within seconds, they had crossed the living room. Tails pulled away from Amy and hastily opened the door, breathless with excitement.

"Yes?"

He stopped short, his eyes widening as Amy gasped behind him.

"This is important fox." Shadow said curtly, his red eyes hooded and his face dark, the red slash on his cheek still scarlet and bright.

"We need to talk."

* * *

**Thanks a lot guys! The reception to this was better than I expected! I really appreciate it! *hugs and cookies to all*  
So here's the next chapter. R&R please!**


	3. Chapter 3

Panting as though he'd run at Mach 3 for days, Sonic lay curled on the concrete, bent over oddly from his wrists shackled to the floor. His mouth was open, gasping for air, his eyes staring at nothing. Shock caused his muscles to shudder, the links clinking in a sickly, merry way.

The speedster's mind was racing, rarely felt terror replacing the primal rage that had possessed him. He still burned, still needed, but now he could _think_.

And he thanked his lucky stars that Shadow had left.

Fighting for control, Sonic slowly sat up again, his chest heaving. The dry, stale air was like a clean flush to his mind, clearing away the black haze. It was a double-edged sword; the burning didn't decrease in any way. His body didn't want this scent. It wanted the other, the more potent one. That delicious smell that sent him into a craze−

He violently shook his head, banishing that thought away. How was he supposed to take back his life if this kept happening?!

He gritted his teeth, frantically searching for something else to think about, something far, far away from that image…

What had happened to him?

Doing his best to relax, Sonic breathed deeply, albeit shakily. He looked back, searching, straining…

He'd been running. Tails had given him a long-range communicator…yes he knew that.

He closed his eyes, resting his chin on his chest. The fire blazed, but he pushed it away. Pain was something he had learned to ignore over the years of endless battles and fights. He focused and breathed.

A forest…a dark forest.

The image swum behind his eyes, murky and indistinct. A voice echoed like a dream, high-pitched and frightened. A child? He'd called out, running to the voice and−

His neck gave a sudden throb, the pain at odds with the fire in his throat. Sonic gasped, his eyes flying open. He instinctively tried to raise his hands, to touch his neck and soothe the pain.

The chain was resolute. He couldn't move.

Sonic growled, anger replacing calm. This was so wrong! Why was this happening? And why was he chained like some kind of animal?!

He knew the reason even as he asked the question. Again, the sight of Shadow appeared in his memories, that red gash across his face, the open disturbed confusion in his eyes.

The blue hedgehog sank back against the wall, breathing once more. His wrists ached from the weight of the chains that clattered together as he settled himself down. If he ever wanted to get out of here, he had to focus. He had to get control. Time dragged as he breathed and burned, the minutes marked by the stabbing pangs in his stomach that came and went. However, the minutes that passed were a curse. The longer this…_craving _inside of him went unsatisfied, the more of his mind was steadily chipped away. He could feel it as an hour came and went. He was losing himself even as he fought, slipping off that edge.

Finally, when that door creaked open, the creature that resembled Sonic the Hedgehog bared shining fangs, feral eyes steadily fixed upon the ones entering the cell.

* * *

Shadow waved away the hailstorm of questions that bombarded him, urgency sharpening his voice.

"We don't have time to babble over questions! The point is, we have Sonic and things are no longer the same−"

"You already said that, and we want to know _why_ things 'aren't the same'!" Amy huffed, folding her arms stubbornly. Most of the shouting had been her shrill voice begging for details, and this broody hedgehog was not going to get in her way from knowing about Sonic. Shadow glared at her, thinly veiled frustration flickering in his ruby eyes.

"If I had known the answer to that question, I wouldn't be here would I?"

"Shadow," Tails started, his sky blue eyes anxious as he stared at the agent. His voice sounded older, if filled with insecurity. "What's happened to Sonic? Why are you here?"

Shadow looked at him straight in the eye, his temper mellowing. "Sonic is no longer the hedgehog you know. Full details will be explained at a later time at G.U.N. In the meantime, I'm here to request your services."

"Me?"

"Him?"

"Why?"

All three exclamations were said in perfect unison as Amy and Tails stared at him. Shadow resisted the urge to grind his teeth. The precious ten minutes he'd been given were rapidly disappearing, and there was still so much that needed to happen before real results would come.

"You know Sonic better than anyone else, plus your mind rivals Dr. Eggman. That would prove invaluable in finding a solution to this mess!"

"What mess?!"

Shadow's frustration broke through at Amy's exasperated question. He whirled on her, his voice rising several notches.

"The mess being that Sonic has become some kind of degenerate beast that will attack anything with a pulse. Does that answer your question?!"

He felt a kind of grim satisfaction at the loaded silence that followed his words. However, he pressed on with his assignment before the dread could fully settle in the room.

"In any case, you're needed Tails. It'd be in Sonic's best interest if you came with me."

* * *

"Well, can you do it?"

A G.U.N. scientist bustled past with a cart piled high with empty chaos drives as Tails looked up from the hastily scrawled schematics and figures he'd written. He blinked, a bit flustered as he faced Shadow. The fox had been inside the cavernous laboratory of the G.U.N. Scientific Division for a while now following the debriefing session with the Commander and all those that were involved with the "Nightwatch", as it was called.

Tail's ears lowered slightly as he remembered the meeting.

It was difficult to believe the facts he was hearing, but the testimonials were undeniable. The search for Sonic had been broadened, with only a few field agents searching near the forest while the others spread out across the countryside. The last time the agents deployed at the forest reported in, nothing had been found. Two weeks later, a squad set out to find out why they hadn't reported in.

All of them were found dead, the bodies pale and drained of blood. They were all gone, save for one, who attacked the squad the second he realized they were there. Reasoning failed, the agent no longer human enough to understand. A single bullet ended the nightmare.

Less than a week later, Shadow was searching outside the suburbs of a sprawling city when Sonic slammed into him from out of nowhere, howling like a banshee as his teeth snapped inches from his face. Shadow managed to twist away, but not in time to avoid the black talon that tore open his face.

At that moment, the Hero of Mobius was now it's most deadly enemy. Only Shadow's quick reflexes had saved the rest of his squadron from being massacred. Heedless of the razor quills and the wild bucking of supersonic limbs, Shadow pinned his former rival down, lowering his ears to the earsplitting shrieks of the other. A muzzle was impossible. Handcuffs were easily being pulled apart. Heavy sedation was the only way, other than shooting him.

In the midst of this chaos, a piece of the puzzle fell into place.

That piece of information was laid out over the long table of the meeting room, the seed of a plan that was set in motion.

Tails mentally shook himself and answered Shadow's question.

"Yeah. If my calculations are correct, it should work. All you need to do is to channel your own chaos energy into it, and the device should recognize your own personal energy signature."

"How long?"

"Another fifteen minutes or so."

Shadow nodded, his face expressionless. Tails shot a glance at the Ultimate Lifeform, worry creasing his brow.

"What about you? Are you sure this'll work when−"

"Let me know the moment it's finished." Shadow cut him off sharply, turning and leaving the room.

* * *

The creature that resembled Sonic the Hedgehog bared shining fangs, feral eyes steadily fixed upon the ones entering the cell. Shadow stared right back into those green eyes, fully taking in the other.

He was now barely recognizable. Somehow over the course of several hours, Sonic's body had become severally emaciated. Bones stood out beneath royal blue fur with frightening detail. The flesh that ringed his eyes was now blackened like a feral wolf, his face sunken in. His gloves were torn at the fingertips, talons scraping against the concrete floor. Pupils were contracted, the eyes filled with ravenous hunger.

Shadow gripped the ring of metal more tightly in his hands.

"Stay outside."

Tails looked at him anxiously, twisting his hands together. "But…maybe, if Sonic could see me, I-I could help−"

Shadow's head whipped around, his ruby eyes burning as his voice cracked like a whip. "You wouldn't be helping at all if you get yourself killed! Do you want to add that kind of burden to Sonic's conscious if he finds out that he murdered you?!"

The fox flinched, blue eyes filled with heartbreak.

Satisfied, Shadow turned back to face Sonic, breathing deeply.

"Stay outside and do _no_t open the door, regardless of what you might hear."

Without waiting for an answer, Shadow walked into the room, the iron door closing slowly behind him.

There was a moment of silence as the two hedgehogs stared at each other, green into red, sane into feral. The lull was broken by the ragged growls that rose from Sonic's throat. Peach lips were pulled back, exposing the gleaming fangs. Despite being prepared for it, Shadow still tensed at the sight of them. He did not like this plan, but there was no other choice that could resolve this quickly. He stowed the metal ring into his quills. Now was the time.

Slowly, Shadow raised his hand to the wall, accessing a hidden panel. Sonic watched his every move, the snarls rising in volume and intensity. Shadow's finger hovered over a single button, steeling himself.

"Alright Sonic." He murmured, shifting his body, ready to move. "It's just you….and me."

He pressed the button.

The chains released.

Shadow dodged as a blue blur came rocketing straight for him, that howling keening ringing in his ears. He launched himself across the small space, feeling the wind of Sonic's claws missing his lower back by inches. He bounced off the far wall, the impact vibrating up his legs, reminding the black hedgehog just how alive he was….

He flew past Sonic, their eyes meeting for a split second before the blue hedgehog came tearing after him. Shadow twisted around and faced him straight on. He caught a flash of those green eyes glowing wildly, hungrily. Then the world tilted as Sonic slammed into him, claws digging painfully into his sides as they went down. Shadow barely had time to grunt, forcing himself to remain slack as Sonic crowed with high-pitched victory, pinning the darker hedgehog down on the floor.

It all happened so fast. In one sure movement, Sonic forced Shadow's head to the side and his jaws closed around his throat. Shadow held back a howl as fangs plunged deeply into his flesh, his heart pounding from both adrenaline and an instinctual fear for survival.

But this had to happen.

He could feel it, the blood being sucked out of him as Sonic moaned with something akin to pleasure, drinking from Shadow with an obvious thirst. It made the pain worse, the blood stinging as it flowed over the wound. A small trickle of red squeezed past Sonic's cheek, making its way down to the white down of Shadow's chest. He felt his gut twist with nausea at the sounds his former rival was making. '_This was so wrong..._'

He had to work fast, or Sonic would drain him completely!

Moving carefully, Shadow pulled out the ring, fastening the metal band around Sonic's neck. The blue blur barely noticed, continuing his feast. The ring clicked, snugly bound to Sonic. That was it.

Shadow raised his fist and punched Sonic as hard as he could, sending the other flying away with a shriek. Shadow leaped to his feet, one hand cupping his neck to stem the flow of blood, the other rising defensively as Sonic rose, furious at being interrupted. The hedgehog licked away at the crimson smeared across his lips, hissing between his fangs. He advanced slowly, hands curling towards his wayward prey.

"Sonic!" Shadow called, his voice ringing through the cell as he held his ground. "Snap out of this Sonic, I know you can!"

Sonic snarled…then paused, something flickering through the haze in his green eyes. He shook his head and advanced, the small moment of awareness gone in a flash.

"_Sonic! I know you can hear me!_"

Sonic came to a full stop then, shaking his head once more, holding it gingerly in his clawed hands.

"Wh…wha−?"

The blue blur looked up then, pupils dilated to their original size and whirling with confusion. They traveled across the smudged stains of red on his fingers, then to the hedgehog standing in front of him. Shadow could see those eyes widen as they took in the blood slowly seeping from his neck. It was as simple as two plus two, even for Sonic. Sonic staggered backwards, his voice hoarse and filled with utter horror.

"No…No! _NO!_"

* * *

**DunDunDUNN!  
Well, here's chapter 3. I've noticed that this is a pretty dark story so far, which is odd because I didn't intend it to be. At least, not on this level. But now that things are rolling, it'll lighten up a bit. Thank you! R&R Please.**


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